Valpo @ Chicago St. 11-16-22 7pm CST

[AlaskaCrusader19]

KenPom's current projection for Valpo is a 12-19 record and 7-13 in the Valley. Should something close to that be reality, I cannot fathom how Padilla and Small could allow this to continue into 2023-24. At some point, you're either committed to being competitive or you're not.

[JD24]

Let's live in the year 2022. Why would you not pull the trigger? School are dismissing coaches early and often during the season, and for recruiting and engagement with the alums and community it should be considered. Lottich is a great guy, but 6 seasons is a long time window to evaluate. No need to delay if this isn't going to work long term.

What would a change accomplish at this point unless the replacement is a current assistant? There's no one, likely, available at the moment because the candidates are 3 games into their current season.

[JD24]

vu84v2 - making the change now and having an interim coach makes a clear statement that the program wants to move in a new direction. USC football did it after firing Helton after the second game, knowing the current situation was not working. You are delaying the inevitable, recruiting, etc. if you become passive.

A change now would kill recruiting. Again...who are you bringing in at this point?

[vuny98]

I didn't watch the game, just saw the box score.

Chicago State shooting 60+% from three. Bad defense or just a good shooting night?
CSU, 28 free throws and only 1 miss. I doubt they are ever that good.
Another REALLY slow start to the game. One of my main critiques of Lottich has always been these dry spells that we get every game. I don't know what it is but its nearly constant. Hard to win like that.

I'm not happy about losing, especially to Chicago State of all teams, but damn calm down everyone. Acting like good teams never lose to bad teams (BTW, I am not saying we are a good team, but just that games like this happen all the time to programs WAY better than us).

Lottich is not getting fired 3 games into the season, nor should he. If the season continues to look like last night, then I HOPE to see a move at the end of the year (I think it would have to be really ugly to have it happen sooner, and no one lose to Chicago State does not qualify for that).

[elephtheria47]

This is Chicago State's entire home slate:

IUPUI
Valpo
University of Southern Indiana (1st year D1)
East West University
Aurora University
St. Xavier University
Calumet College of St. Joseph
Hartford (Final year of D1 and with an interim coach)

Exactly 4 D1 home games, with two of those being in a transition year.

You are who you surround yourself with.

Im still astounded that we agreed to play them, agreed to play them there, and got destroyed by them. As Jon Rothstein says, the epitome of brutality.

[FWalum]

I would think that the Associate Head Coach Luke Gore would be the interim Head Coach if Matt stepped down. I also doubt that he is fired during the season.

[vu72]

University of Southern Indiana (1st year D1)
East West University

Southern Indian beat Southern Illinois 71-53

[valpo64]

Some of you act like big upset games like this never happen...SIU gets beat, Louisville loses 3 in a row, a few years ago Indiana gets whipped 2 years in a row by IPFW.  Settle down a little.  Games like this happen every year but it really hurts when it involves us.  Many years ago, we bounced back after being whipped by tiny Bether College of Mishawaka.  Not many teams can beat a team that shoots 68% in the 1st half including 75% of 3"s (9 of 12).  And for the game, 28 of 29 free throws when they average a little over 60%.  The sky hasn't fallen yet (but keep your eyes to the sky)

[valpofb16]

Pretty sure All those coaches got fired....

[valpopal]

Some of you act like big upset games like this never happen...SIU gets beat, Louisville loses 3 in a row, a few years ago Indiana gets whipped 2 years in a row by IPFW.  Settle down a little.  Games like this happen every year but it really hurts when it involves us.  Many years ago, we bounced back after being whipped by tiny Bether College of Mishawaka.  Not many teams can beat a team that shoots 68% in the 1st half including 75% of 3"s (9 of 12).  And for the game, 28 of 29 free throws when they average a little over 60%.  The sky hasn't fallen yet (but keep your eyes to the sky)

It's not the one game, but what the game represents and how it seems to symbolize a breaking point for some. The Bethel loss, as someone else has pointed out, has no relevance. That was a Valpo team that had credibility and enjoyed confidence from fans. This Valpo team is now entering its sixth year of (to be kind) less than mediocre records, and it has lost all trust from many fans.

[usc4valpo]

JD24- on the other hand, keeping the coach may hurt recruiting knowing the situation is status quo and that Valpo stays committed to mediocrity. A lot schools now are firing coaches early and having an interim if it makes sense.

[valpopal]

Summarize the current state of the program in one sentence:

"Murray State, yet to play its first MVC game, upsets a top-25 team while Valpo, in its 6th year at the MVC, is upset by a team ranked #360." 

[elephtheria47]

This wasnt a blip on the radar. This is becoming the new norm..every year we seem to go lower and lower on what is acceptable as a fan base. Recruiting and positive momentum was hard enough already. If we want to be the best we need to get some of the best talent in the league, and what exactly are we selling them? What have we done as a program since 2004 if we are recruiting 18 year olds that makes us relevant? Probably more so since they've been a teenager, so the last 6 years?

Not directed at anyone here because we are all here and talking about the games. But having fans be upset is a good thing. It means people still care. Much better than being indifferent, which seems a large portion of the fan base has fallen into.

[VUGrad1314]

I still care right now but I am getting dangerously close to falling into that indifferent category. I'm already less passionate and engaged than I used to be and losses like this will only continue that trend. I hope this isn't the new normal for Valpo basketball and that all we have is a Lottich problem but I don't know for sure and I'm very nervous that this really is going to be where we are going forward. I mean Murray State beating a top 25 team before they even play an MVC game just shows us that it's not the transition that was the problem (as much as we all wanted to use that to give Lottich grace the first few years in the MVC). Good coaches find ways to win even when they shouldn't. Matt does not demonstrate that ability on anything remotely resembling a consistent basis. If anything he demonstrates the opposite: finding ways to lose even when he shouldn't. Matt has had some high points on his resume but at this point they appear to be the blips that mask an overall trend of mediocre to bad results. This is not the 1998 team. This loss is not the Bethel loss. This program is not in the same place. We are in year 7 of Matt Lottich's tenure and we can honestly say the program is in a decidedly worse place than it was when he was hired. We used to beat MVC teams regularly. Now we're lucky to stay out of the bottom 4 against them. Better league or not, that is a stinging indictment of Lottich as a coach and these facts tell me everything I need to know. They all point in one direction: a change of leadership is sorely needed and I'm not sure if there is anything this team can do over the course of the rest of the year to change my position on that.

[valpofb16]

Conference transition was way over blown. It's not like Valpo joined the Big10

They went from big fish in small Major to mid Major.

[mj]

Let's live in the year 2022. Why would you not pull the trigger? School are dismissing coaches early and often during the season, and for recruiting and engagement with the alums and community it should be considered. Lottich is a great guy, but 6 seasons is a long time window to evaluate. No need to delay if this isn't going to work long term.

What would a change accomplish at this point unless the replacement is a current assistant? There's no one, likely, available at the moment because the candidates are 3 games into their current season.

It's a forward looking move. It would be the beginning of the healing process. It would send a message that Valpo isn't going to accept mediocrity any longer.

Let Luke Gore run the team the rest of the season. Maybe letting Lottich go inspires the team the team to come together and we squeeze a few more wins out of the season. If we're worried that firing Lottich will somehow hurt the program, well...take a look at this program. We're approaching Evansville territory.

[may know]

I'm seeing posts blowing this off as upsets always happen.

Yes, upsets always happen.

This was getting absolutely destroyed by the single worst program in the 365-school Division I over the past decade. They have won 5 league games since 2015 - and they were beating us by 25 at halftime!

Murray St lost all but 1 player with a whole new staff and they dominated a top-25 team in their 3rd game tonight. We're in Year 7 after inheriting a superstar from a top-50 team in Year 1, and we're trailing Chicago St by 25 at halftime.

[AB]

More commentary on the messages boards when we loose games than when we win. Unless they are consistently getting blown out and or he completely looses the locker room he's here the whole year. Highest paid employee on campus and several smaller university's have had issues with enrollment during covid times. Budgets are already tight across the board. The university can't afford to eat his contract at this time. I understand the frustration of everyone. Teams do get upset, even good ones. Last night was bad loss and not just the loss but how they lost. Bad defense and Cougars couldn't miss. Not too long ago we were a play or foul call away from upsetting the Terps in Columbus. We had a nice run under the Drew's, but the Sky is not falling so lets see how we do by the end of December.  We have put up much better offensive numbers already this season and Krikke will be borderline XBOX 360 many games this year. How do you think the Butler fan base is feeling the last few years?

[mj]

More commentary on the messages boards when we loose games than when we win. Unless they are consistently getting blown out and or he completely looses the locker room he's here the whole year. Highest paid employee on campus and several smaller university's have had issues with enrollment during covid times. Budgets are already tight across the board. The university can't afford to eat his contract at this time. I understand the frustration of everyone. Teams do get upset, even good ones. Last night was bad loss and not just the loss but how they lost. Bad defense and Cougars couldn't miss. Not too long ago we were a play or foul call away from upsetting the Terps in Columbus. We had a nice run under the Drew's, but the Sky is not falling so lets see how we do by the end of December.  We have put up much better offensive numbers already this season and Krikke will be borderline XBOX 360 many games this year. How do you think the Butler fan base is feeling the last few years?

The mens basketball program is one of the most important assets of the university. If Lottich's continued involvement with the program harms that asset, then he needs to be let go. Eating his contract makes more financial sense in the long run.

The Maryland game was 7 years ago. Some of our players were in middle school when that game occurred. NCAA basketball has changed during that time. And we've been left behind.

[valpotx]

Before we anoint Murray State as ready to instantly compete for MVC titles, let's remember that we started 10-0 over our non-conference games in our first year in the MVC.  No, we didn't beat a ranked team, but I remember that we had really high hopes at that time, after we started that way.  We finished 6-12 in the MVC, which is an every game grind, versus just getting up for a ranked team.  The following year?  We start 4-0 in the MVC, and people are saying that Valpo can compete, but how do we finish?  7-11.  It's a grind, folks.

[usc4valpo]

Recent Valpo commitment of being mediocre and not acknowledging there's a problem.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

More commentary on the messages boards when we loose games than when we win. Unless they are consistently getting blown out and or he completely looses the locker room he's here the whole year. Highest paid employee on campus and several smaller university's have had issues with enrollment during covid times. Budgets are already tight across the board. The university can't afford to eat his contract at this time. I understand the frustration of everyone. Teams do get upset, even good ones. Last night was bad loss and not just the loss but how they lost. Bad defense and Cougars couldn't miss. Not too long ago we were a play or foul call away from upsetting the Terps in Columbus. We had a nice run under the Drew's, but the Sky is not falling so lets see how we do by the end of December.  We have put up much better offensive numbers already this season and Krikke will be borderline XBOX 360 many games this year. How do you think the Butler fan base is feeling the last few years?

I think the Butler fan base is feeling optimistic about the future, because they fired LaVall Jordan when it was clear that he wasn't the guy. You're right that the sky isn't falling, as it's just basketball, but it's painfully clear that Matt Lottich isn't the guy to turn this around. Outside of a four day stretch in March 2020, when has it ever looked like the program was headed in the right direction under him?

[chgovalpofan]

Should Lottich have been fired that night? Absolutely.  But that, unfortunately, is not an option for Valpo.  And that is understandable.  I will be highly surprised if he is here next year.  And I am sure he can't sleep at night knowing this loss will haunt him for years to come.  We want to say this was a bad loss, and it should have been, but I am not really sure that the way the program has progressed that it is.  Chicago State has some talent on that team.  And maybe they are going to have a highly successful season. But bottomline, our team was not prepared.  They were not competitive. This is becoming a pattern. We need a change to get some optimism back because right now, I can't seem to find any.  This isn't three games in.....this is seven season in. 

[usc4valpo]

Now that I think about it - with no money, crappy athletic facilities and recent school apathy, this problem will not be solved simply with a coaching change. Against WMU, 1500 attended. That's unacceptable.

However, a 6 year window is more than enough to make a change now. Matt is a nice person, a good representative at Valpo. but in Div 1 basketball you have to have results meeting the needs of the stakeholders.

[David81]

A plausible scenario if this team continues to significantly underperform: A negotiated mid-season resignation and buyout that allows (1) Coach Lottich to have some flexibility and consider his options for the next year and a half, and (2) the MBB to start planning its future.

I don't know if Coach Gore is a viable contender to become head coach, but if so, this would be a great trial run.

Recall that President Padilla has a background in law, including University general counsel, so such negotiations are hardly new to him.